Morning Buzz: Wednesday 11.17.10

Jerry Brown at work, L.A. ballot measures, Richard Katz resigns from high speed rail board and those new Lakers books by Jeanie Buss and Phil Jackson. Plus more, of course.

Jerry Brown tried to hold a photo spray yesterday, but then he started answering questions. Capitol Alert
Brown appears likely to keep much of Gov. Schwarzenegger's administration intact for some time, including the budget chief and head of the Air Resources Board. LAT
Three measures on the DWP, one on funding libraries and more on campaign contributions and taxing marijuana collectives advanced closer to next year's city ballot, with a final vote on those and others today in the City Council. DN, LAT, The City Maven
Since when has DWP union chief Brian D’Arcy ever cared about the well being of the ratepayers? CityWatch
Is Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes from the Valley the state's worst legislator? LA Weekly
MTA and Metrolink board member Richard Katz will step down from the board of the California high speed rail project, after questions about whether his overlapping roles were a conflict. LAT
When a 14-member citizens commission meets next year to redraw legislative district boundaries for California, it will not include any resident from the biggest city in the state, Los Angeles. PolitiCal
It's been one year on the job for LAPD chief Charlie Beck. LA Weekly
Leslie Hoffecker, formerly an L.A. Times assistant national editor, has joined Bloomberg News as an editor on the government news team in Washington. Via Gorkana
Eight months to the day after doctors amputated the lower part of his left leg, high school junior Steven Contreras took the field again for Rolling Hills Prep. 3 Wire Sports
California's travel industry seems to be on the road to recovery. LAT
James Rainey likes the Twitter posts of author Buzz Bissinger. LAT
Tom Hoffarth looks at the new Lakers books by Jeanie Buss and Phil Jackson. DN
Marshall Lumsden, the founding editor of West magazine in the Los Angeles Times in 1966, died at age 88. LAT